MARXISM

Question 1

What does MARX say about HISTORICAL MATERIALISM

Answer 1

theory tracing the EVOLUTION & DEVELOPMENT of HUMAN SOCIETIES from ONE STAGE to ANOTHER
- BEGINNING - PRIORITY was Ensuring Physical SURVIVAL by PRODUCING the MEANS to Sustain themselves - produce these needs Using the FORCES Of PRODUCTION
- these Forces are UNAIDED HUMAN LABOUR , Overtime People DEVELOP More EFFICIENT WAYS of ORGANISING PRODUCTION - REQUIRES HUMANS into SOCIAL RELATIONS - RELATIONS of PRODUCTION
- DIVISON of LABOUR DEVELOPS - 2 Classes division - MEANS & MODE of PRODUCTION
Society and Material Needs Influences Infrastructre & Superstructure

Question 2

What are the 5 STAGES of Society according to MARX

Answer 2

• PRIMITATIVE COMMUNISM - Classless Society
• FEUDAL SOCIETY - Landowners vs Peasants
• CAPITALIST SOCIETY - Bourgeoise V PROLETARIAT
• SOCIALISM - Government Owners V Workers
• COMMUNISM - Classless Society

Question 3

What is the ECONMONIC BASE

Answer 3

consists of THOSE who OWN the MEANS of PRODUCTION like the land, technology and labour NECESSARY to PRODUCE SOCIETY’S GOODS ( e.g. landowners )

Question 4

What are the 2 INTERELATED STRUCTURES that MARX sees Society being Divided into

Answer 4

the INFRASTRUCTURE - most Important Part of the Capitalist System, Orhanosed in terms of Relationship Between Proletariat and Bourgeoise

the SUPERSTRUCTURE - made up of Social institutions (e.g. family ) , has Role of Transmitting Ruling Class Ideology

Question 5

Explain The INFRASTRUCTURE

Answer 5

BOURGEOISE - OWN & CONTROL the MEANS of PRODUCTION - capital, land, factories.
PROLETARIAT Workers PROVIDE the LABOUR POWER Needed by the BOURGEOISIE To MANUFACTURE GOOD in the FACTORIES In Return for a Wage

Question 6

Explain the SOCIAL RELATIONS Of PRODUCTION ( the Bourgeoise and Proletariat )

Answer 6

Relations are UNEQUAL and EXPLOITATIVE as the VALUE of WAGES PAID to Workers is WORTH LESS Than the VALUE Of The PRODUCT Of THEIR LABOUR To the BOURGEOISIE
Relations ->Mean the CLASSES Are IN CONFLICT With ONE ANOTHER -> WORKERS Want MORE WAGES While EMPLOYERS Want MORE LABOUR

Question 7

Explain The SUPERSTRUCTURE

Answer 7

made Up of Social Institutions - has ROLE of TRANSMITTING RULING CLASS IDEOLOGY
AIMS to HIDE or JUSTIFY INEQUALITY Or DISTRICT The W/C From It BY PERSUADING Them that the CAPITALIST SYSTEM is Both MERITOCRATIC and FAIR

Question 8

What is a CRITICISM of the INFRASTRUCRURE / SUPERSTRUCTURE

Answer 8

TOO DETERMINISTIC - The ECONOMIC BASES & SUPERSTRUCTURE Model
GIVES TOO MUCH IMPORTANCE To the ECONOMY
CLASSICAL MARXISM DOESN’T ALLOW for the POSSIBILITY that the IDEAS and INSTITUTIONS Of the SUPERSTRUCTURE May Themselves INFLUENCE BEHAVIOUR and CAUSE CHANGE Independently of the Economy

Question 9

What are the ‘ TWO MARXISMS
with example

Answer 9

• HUMANISTIC / CRITICAL MARXISM e.g Gramsci
• SCIENTIFIC / STRUTURAL MARXISM e.g. Althusser

Question 10

What is GRAMSCI’S CONCEPT Of HEGEMONY

Answer 10

HOW the RULING CLASS Holds the IDEOLOGICAL and MORAL LEADERSHIP Of Society, Using IDEAS & VALUES to PREVENT REVOLUTION By WINNING the CONSENT of the SUBORDINATE CLASS To Its RUle

Question 11

What are the 2 WAYS GRAMSCI Sees the RULING CLASS MAINTAIN Its DOMINANCE Over Society ?

Answer 11

• COERCION ( using the Army, Police and Courts of Capitalist State to Force Other Classes to Accept it’s rule )
• CONSENT ( hegemony )

Question 12

MARX - how are the RULING CLASS ABLE to PREVENT a REVOLUTION?

Answer 12

RELY Heavily on HEGEMONY
do so Because THEY CONTROL the INSTITUTIONS That PRODUCE & SPREAD IDEAS e.g. Media , Education System

As Long as the REST of SOCIETY ACCEPT RULING CLASS HEGEMONY, there will NOT be a REVOLUTION

Question 13

What are 2 REASONS why the HEGEMONY of the RULING CLASS WON’T be COMPLETE

Answer 13

• RULING CLASS ARE MINOIRTY - to Rule they NEED to CREATE a POWER BLOC By MAKING ALLIANCES With Other Groups - therefore MUST Make IDEOLOGICAL COMPRISES To Take Account of the Interests of the Alliances
• PROLETARIAT HAVE A DUAL CONSCIOUSNESS - their IDEAS are INFLUENCED not only by Bourgeois Ideology but Also THEIR MATERIAL CONDITIONS Of LIFE - the Poverty and Explanation They Experience. this Means they can SEE THROUGH the DOMINANT IDEOLOGY

Question 14

What does GRAMSCI mean by COUNTER HEGEMONIC BLOC and ORGANIC INTELLECTUALS

Answer 14

However, this will ONLY LEAD to REVOLUTION IF the PROLETARIAT are ABLE to CONSTRUCT HEGEMONIC BLOC (MUST be ABLE to OFFER MORAL and IDEOLOGICAL LEADERSHIP to SOCIETY

W/C can ONLY WIN by PRODUCING their Own ‘ ORGANIC INTELLECTUALS ‘ - a BODY of CLASS CONSCIOUS WORKERS, Organised Into a REVOLUTIONARY POLITICAL PARTY, Able to Formulate an Alternative Vision of How Society Could Run in the Future

Question 15

What is an EVALUATION Criticsim Point for GRAMSCI ?

Answer 15

Accused of OVER-EMPHASISING the ROLE of IDEAS and UNDER-EMPHASISNG the ROLE of Both STATE COERCION and ECONOMIC FACTORS
e.g. Workers may See through Ruling Class Ideology and Wish to Overthrow , BUT be Reluctant to Try Because they Fear State Repression or Unemployment
Tolerate Capitalism as they Have No Choice

Question 16

How do STRUCTURLIST MARIXSM DIFFER From HUMANISTIC MARXIST

Answer 16

HUMANISTIC - see Humans as Creative Beings, Able to Make History Through their Conscious Actions
STRUCTURALIST - Social Strutures Shape History and are the Proper Subject of Scientific Work

Question 17

What are the 3 LEVELS of SOCIETY in ALTHUSSER’s STRUCTURAL DETERMINISM Model?

Answer 17

• the ECONOMIC LEVEL : comprising all those Activities that Involve Producing Something in Order to Satisfy a Need
• the POLITICAL LEVEL : comprising All Forms of Organisation
• the IDEOLOGICAL LEVEL , involving the Ways that People See Themselves and Their World

Question 18

How does ALTHUSSER CRITISE the BASE SUPERSTRUCTURE MODEL and How does His 3 LEVELS Of SOCIETY DIFFER from It

Answer 18

The BASE SUPERSTRUCTURE MODEL - is a ONE WAY CASUALITY : the ECONOMIC LEVEL DETERMINES EVERYTHING About the Other 2 Levels
Constrast - ALTHUSSER’s Model , the POLITICAL and IDEOLOGICAL LEVELS have RELATIVE AUTONOMY or PARTIAL INDEPENDANCE From the ECONOMIC LEVEL

Question 19

State what ALTHUSSER Believes about APPARATUSES?

Answer 19

the STATE PERFORMS POLITICAL and IDEOLOGICAL FUNCTIONS that ENSURE the REPRODUCTION of CAPITALISM

Divides State into 2 Aapparatuses

Question 20

Explain what ALTHUSSER’S ISA is

Answer 20

IDEOLOGICAL STATE APPARATUS - INSITUITIONS e.g. the Media, Education, Family - they MANIPULATE the W/C Into ACCEPTING CAPITALISM As LEGITMATE

Question 21

Explain what ALTHUSSER’S RSA is

Answer 21

REPRESSIVE STATE APPARATUS - the ‘ ARMED BODY Of MEN ‘ - the Army, Police etc - that COERCE the W/C INTO COMPLYING With the Will of the BOURGEOISE

Question 22

How does ALTHUSSER CRITICISE Humanists such as Grasmci

Answer 22

HUMANISTS Believe that PEOPLE Can USE Their CREATIVITY and FREE WILL to CHANGE SOCIETY e.g. revolution
ALTHUSSER however - WE AREN’T the the FREE AGENTS that Humanists Think we Are - that beliefs is FALSE CONSCIOUNESS PRODUCED By the the ISA’s we’re PRODUCTS of PRODUCTS of SOCIAL STRUCRURES, PUPPETS of SOCIETY

Question 23

How does GOULDNER CRITICISE ALTHUSSER ?

Answer 23

this SCIENTIFIC APPROACH DISCOURAGES POLITICAL ACTIVISM - as it STRESSES the ROLE of STRUCTUAL FACTORS that INDIVDUALS can do LITTLE to Affect

Question 24

How does THOMPSON CRITCISE ALTHUSSER

Answer 24

CRITICISES For IGNORING how It;s the ACTIVE STRUGGLES Of the W/C that Can CHANGE SOCIETY.
ACCUSES ALTHUSSER of ELITISM - Belief that Communist Party Knows What’s Best for the Workers , who should therefore Blindly Follow the Party’s Lead